Nissan, which wants to bring electric commuter cars to the U.S. in 2010, will work with Oak Ridge National Labs to "promote" the development of electric vehicles and a charging infrastructure in the state. The lab, along with other national labs, has been at the forefront of trying to figure out if the existing grid can handle electric cars and, if not, what needs to be improved.

Some of the work will involve experimenting with ways solar and hydroelectric power can be exploited for the charging infrastructure.

This marks the second announcement in a few weeks from Nissan on charging stations. It is also working with ECOtality to build charging stations in Arizona.

Which, of course, brings up the Better Place question. So far, Nissan has signed a deal with Better Place to work with that company on charging stations in Israel, but that's about it. Better Place approaches electric charging differently than most other charging station companies. Cars that use their network have to buy electricity from them. You can charge at home, but you need a Better Place charging station. Better Place also wants to swap batteries, which at lot of car makers frown on. One car exec at a different company told me the other day that a car battery is a 400 plus pound, $10,000 component that holds $1.50 of energy. You're going to swap an expensive asset like that to get $1.50 of power?

Nissan's EV, by the way, will cost between $20,000 and $33,000 before the $7,500 federal tax credit and any state credits. It will get about 100 miles to the charge. I drove the prototype (see video here) and for the price it could become one of the more attractive electrics for consumers out there. But there will be lots of competition.